I hope people realize Sanders is not serious about the nomination

[Gman]

All last year he hinted at getting into it to push things more toward progressive issues. He knows he's unelectable. But he just wants a say in how the party presents itself. I'm glad he's doing it.

[BlueJazz]

1. Then we all may be quite surprised when he becomes President.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

26. +1. nt

[Donald Ian Rankin]

28. Yes, I will indeed be (more than) quite surprised if Sanders becomes president. N.T.

[msanthrope]

83. I was totally taken aback when DU proved right about President Kucinich. ...nt

[daleanime]

2. Huh, sorry did you say something?

Kind of busy right now.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

3. Why do we need to troll Sanders supporters? /NT

[ChairmanAgnostic]

29. because true hilarians be rather afeared of him.

[Scuba]

4. I miss the unrec button.

[City Lights]

10. Me too. nt

[TheNutcracker]

55. Me three!

[L0oniX]

17. You're too kind. It should be a Gong Show "GONG"

[Renew Deal]

61. Not me

It suppressed minority opinion.

[leftofcool]

5. I disagree.

I think he is serious. Do I think he can win a general election, no.

[Recursion]

6. Hold on, I'm as "establishment" as they come and I'm not remotely ready to go that far

His odds may not be great but that's a separate question from saying he's not "serious" about the nomination. McGovern's odds for the nom in 1972 were probably lower than Sanders (and, yes, that's a double-edged comparison). The current President was probably less of a longshot, but honestly not by much.

[Downwinder]

7. I hope he realizes that at this point he has no choice.

He had a choice up until he announced. Now he is caught in the flow, just like Perot was. It is too late to fight the current.

[NotoriousRBG]

8. He's more electable than Hill

[DrDan]

12. then please explain the polls

Clinton around 60% and Bernie 10% of that

[NotoriousRBG]

14. We have barely even started yet. Folks just don't care too much for Hill.

Bernie's message will resonate and Hill's will sink like a stone.

[DrDan]

21. and that explains why Hill gets support from 6 out of 10 and Bernie

still lags behind Hill plus 2 undeclared candidates?

And the money has not even started to roll.

[patricia92243]

19. Name recognition. I had to google Bernie Sanders to find out what he

looked like and who he is.

What I've seen I really like. If he can get elected or not is another question. People seem to always vote against their own best interest.

[DrDan]

23. I am not denying that I like him also

but the term "socialist" does not play well. And he is not that well known. And (I hate to say this), but his age will work against him.

I am not arguing that he is not the better candidate. But to say that he is more electable than Hillary (right now) is sheer folly.

[ronnie624]

36. She has the power establishment behind her.

If he becomes a serious challenge, he will be promptly marginalized by MSM.

[DrDan]

40. I think you are correct about that

[LondonReign2]

51. I agree as well

Bernie's biggest challenge is not Hillary, it is the MSM (far more so than money).

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

30. 99% Clinton name recognition.

Right now, everybody knows her, nobody knows him. If somebody polls you, and offers you a mediocre or even fair politician you know something about vs a person you have no clue about, who are you going to say? If you're a normal person, you'll say the mediocre person over the unknown.

[DrDan]

33. absolutely everyone knows her

wait until all that money starts to slow with endless ads . . .

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

35. She's already at saturation, though.

She's run this rodeo, she's run her ads. She has nowhere to go but down, she's not going to win more voters than the ones who already were willing to vote for her before.

[DrDan]

39. she has the independents yet to sway

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

42. They're the same independents from 2008.

Plus, of course, the youngsters now old enough to vote. And I'd bet Bernie appeals to them more than Hillary.

[CTyankee]

89. I think you are underestimating the young WOMEN in the party...

they see the possibility of the first woman president in their lives and that is a big motivator.

[workinclasszero]

62. Bernie fans need Rmoney's Unskew the Polls guy

[Agschmid]

85. No we just need to work hard to get him elected.

All of us are willing to do that.

Thanks for that, class act post.

[lunatica]

69. Everyone knows who Clinton is. Only Progressives know Sanders

that's why, and the fact that he just announced days ago and we've all known the Clintons for 23 years. The Clintons have been in the White House and Hillary was a Senator and the Secretary Of State of the Obama Administration. She's been in the general public eye for most of 23 years. Senator Bernie Sanders has only worked for his State in Congress.

Do you know every Senator from every State?

[peacebird]

76. Everyone knows who Clinton is, and Clinton fatigue is real. Bernie got more $$ donations in 24 hrs

After announcing than any other candidate. $1.5 mil. Average donation was $43, that shows a big hunger for an alternative to Hillary.

[lunatica]

86. I'll be donating as soon as I get paid tomorrow.

and it won't the last time. Win or lose, I'm not letting this go without putting my money where my Progressive mouth is!

[Metric System]

15. And then you woke up.

[cwydro]

9. Wait, what?

Can you explain how he is unelectable?

Dying to hear this.

[procon]

25. Acknowledging a candidate's weaknesses

is even more important than singing praises to their strengths. Being aware of the criticisms and recognising the flaws of the politicians we support is critical to effecting changes in the campaign early on. That, at least, can inspire the candidate we favor to try living up to all the hype and potential we imagine them to have. Whether it's a Sanders, or any other candidate, none of them benefit from being propped up by well-meaning enablers when they need to do everything possible to improve their chance of success.

[cwydro]

32. Still wondering why he

is considered unelectable.

[SomethingFishy]

48. Simple. Because the OP said so.

So there!

[cwydro]

50. Aha!

Silly me!

[procon]

56. Not exactly the most obvious choice of self deprecating words, but

easily remedied with a bit more study, I'm sure.

[Gothmog]

59. Because he will be unable to compete against any of the GOP candidates

The Kochs are scheduled to spend $889 million and Jeb will likely raise another billion dollares on top of that. Bernie will not be able to match such resources.

GOTV now days takes a large committment of manpower and money. I do not see Bernie being competitive. Heck I doubt that Bernie will win any Democratic Primary other than the Vermont primary

[frylock]

71. Fiorina has thrown a shit ton of money into her various losing campaigns..

the Kochs threw a lot to Rmoney, and he wasted a lot of his own personal wealth into his losing bid for president.

[Gothmog]

73. So money does not matter in political races and there is no need to fund a candidate?

Money is still important in politics. It is likely that more than $2 billion will be spent on the 2016 POTUS race. The theory that some of this money may not be well spent will not do us any good if our candidate is unable to compete. If nothing else, GOTV and ground games take a ton of money to run and it is doubtful that Sanders can raise the funds needed to be viable

[HappyMe]

11. lol!

Whatever you say.

[L0oniX]

13. Bwahahahah Good luck with that bullshit.

[Downwinder]

16. Case closed. or,

Ring the bell, close the book and quench the candle.

[KMOD]

18. I think he is very serious.

And I think it's great, because it will keep the topics on progressive issues.

[babylonsister]

20. And you know this how? Have you had

a conversation with him, or are you in possession of a crystal ball? Do tell.

[hootinholler]

22. No

You could not be farther from the truth.

Bernie has said repeatedly over the last couple of years that he will not run unless he thinks he can win.

[Logical]

24. LOL, nice try! nt

[djean111]

27. Hey, at least this was not posted in the Bernie Group!

[notadmblnd]

31. sanders-sees-surprisingly-strong-start

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/sanders-sees-surprisingly-strong-start

05/04/15 08:40 AM

By Steve Benen

As easy as it may be to see Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) presidential campaign as a quixotic exercise, launched by a candidate who doesn’t really expect to hold national office, Alex Seitz-Wald reported on the Vermont independent’s strong start as a White House hopeful.
Sen. Bernie Sanders raised more than $1.5 million in the 24-hours since he announced his presidential run, his campaign announced Friday.

It’s a strong performance for a candidate many pundits have dismissed as fringe, outpacing Republican candidates who have recently announced.
In a statement, Tad Devine, a Sanders adviser who worked as a top aide to Al Gore and John Kerry, described the $1.5 million first-day haul as “a remarkable start for Bernie’s campaign.”

FULL story at link. How to donate to Bernie through the DU info below. DU for Bernie is in front of two PACs and the top fund raiser at Act Blue!

I think maybe you need to get some Windex for that crystal ball of yours

[ScreamingMeemie]

34. I hope people realize speaking for someone else is kind of rude.

[Lee-Lee]

37. Regardless, I'm serious about supporting him wherever that leads NT

[PeaceNikki]

38. I know that he literally told my parents this at Fighting Bob Fest 2014.

*HE* said that he wanted to run on Democratic ticket to "push the conversation left".

[Gman]

46. That's what I'm talking about

He consistently said that. I think he's unelectable, but then I thought a Black community organizer from the southside of Chicago was unelectable too.

[Agnosticsherbet]

41. So when he says, "He's in it to win it" he is not telling the truth?

I prefer to take him at his word.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

44. Depends on what "win" means ...

I think he means "winning" is getting the nomination, then the oval office.

But, if "win" means "liberalizing" the Democratic Party, he still gets my vote.

[Agnosticsherbet]

64. If his definition of win is different than what those who hear it think, then he is deceiving people

if he does not explain "Bernie's Definition of Winning."

Most people who here, I'm in it to win it." understand the statement as his intent to win the nomination.

[Unvanguard]

60. I think he may well aspire to win.

But, you could put it this way: I don't think he would have chosen to run without thinking that his participation in the primary, in itself, would be a good thing, irrespective of whether he wins.

[Agnosticsherbet]

66. His statement was not about being a good thing. "I am in it to win it."

Tells his voters that this isn't working some grow the left gimmick, to raise the profile of the progressive left in national politics, or bulid his name recognition for 2020.

It is a run to win the nomination.

If it is just attempt to have his voice heard, he should write another book.

[Unvanguard]

67. Writing books doesn't generally make your voice heard.

[Agnosticsherbet]

68. If he intendes to win it, I would support him, but as a party building exercise,

I will support someone else who intends to try to win.

I don't mind if a man wants to tilt at windmills.

I won't follow in that exercise.

[Unvanguard]

75. He sounds like he intends to win it.

That doesn't exclude him realizing that winning it is unlikely, and having other goals too.

[AgingAmerican]

43. Wishful thinking

The right wing 'stockholm syndrome' has taken root in the Democratic party. Now certain of our party are worried because Bernie isn't right wing enough. It's absurd.

[okasha]

45. Two possibilities.

If he truly thinks he can win the general election, his judgement is in question.

If this is a Potemkin campaign, he owes his donors an apology.

[LondonReign2]

47. Thank you, my ignore list was getting kind of thin

[CharlotteVale]

49. This person thinks he sounds plenty serious.

And I'm plenty serious about voting for him.

[gordianot]

52. Sometimes the man does not make the times, the times make the man.

His ideas are long overdue and are in the interest of voters. There may be no stopping this with the common tactic of attack ads.

On edit my apologies feel free to substitute man for "woman"

[Hoyt]

53. At times, even Pat Paulsen sounded serious. I'd bet Sanders won't take nomination.

Doesn't mean I don't support a lot of what he believes, but I liked a lot of what Kucinich believed too.

Right now, it is critical we win in 2016. I'm just not sure Sanders helps in that respect. Longer-term, I can see the benefit.

[MADem]

54. He's a stalking horse. A good one, too.

I believe he's serious about that, and I believe he'll do a good job of it, too.

If he were planning on moving to 1600 Penn, he'd be out there fundraising, beating the bushes. He's taking donations, but he's got nothing major on his calendar until late May.


I think he has as much chance of winning as his brother does in his election. That said, I think he's got some interesting things to say.

What, you say? Bernie's BROTHER is running for office? Why yes, he is!!!

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/05/04/bernie-sanderss-brother-faces-british-voters/

But in a lighter moment, Mr. Sanders offered some warm wishes to another politician in the family – his older brother Larry.

“We didn’t have a lot of books in the house and it was my brother who introduced me to a lot of my ideas,” Mr. Sanders, 73, said at his press conference. “I hope my brother does very well in his race for parliament in the U.K.”

Larry Sanders, 80, will know his fate at the polls much sooner. He represents the Green party in Oxfordshire in Thursday’s general election for Parliament. As with the senator, his chances of victory in the British elections are slim.

“I’m not likely to win,” Larry said in a telephone interview from his home in Oxford.

In the last election, the Green party won just 2 percent of the vote. Garnering 10 percent this time would be a success, he said.

Larry Sanders, who holds dual citizenship, moved to Britain in 1969 after marrying an English woman. A retired social worker who studied at Harvard and Oxford, he is against the privatization of the Britain’s national health program and he wants to the government to build hundreds of thousands of subsidized homes for the poor.

[rock]

57. If he gets enough votes, he wins

How can he be unelectable? Although I agree his chances are for the moment low. Now george w bush is unelectable in several senses of the word. Although my hopes remain that he is incarceratable!

[Unvanguard]

58. Yep, and that's part of why I'll probably vote for him in the primaries.

He wouldn't be a great general election candidate but he'll do a fine job shifting the Overton window.

[99Forever]

63. No agenda showing here.

No sir, not a bit.

[AtomicKitten]

65. Sure, if by saying he's in it to win means he's not serious.

Nice try. Thanks for playing. Drive through.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

70. I hope people realize Gman is not serious about the OP

[Rex]

72. Well at least you posted this in good faith and not to divide up DU further.

[arcane1]

74. Even assuming your b.s. is true, he is STILL the best candidate out there right now.

[peacebird]

77. True that!

[WillyT]

78. EXACTLY !!!

[valerief]

79. And the sky is falling.

[Autumn]

80. Ya think?

Bernie's in it to win it.

[Major Hogwash]

81. People said the same thing about a freshman Senator from Illinois.

And look at who became the President in 2008!

[Unvanguard]

84. They did?

Obama was talked about as a serious contender for presidency ever since his convention speech in 2004. He had none of Sanders' important liabilities (he had been a Democrat forever, his policy views weren't seen as out of the mainstream, he got substantial support from members of the party establishment) and had several advantages Sanders doesn't have (for example, he had a well-crafted campaign message that transcended ideological differences within the Democratic Party and even more broadly). Obama had a serious shot at winning the nomination from the start, even if Clinton was seen as the favorite, and even though (perhaps in part because) Clinton's campaign team underestimated him.

Sanders is a different story. His support is marginal and concentrated among the people who pay the most attention to politics. He faces a political establishment that, for all intents and purposes, has already made up its mind, and a primary electorate that largely knows and likes Clinton. What he has to offer is an issue-based political agenda that will be attractive to the minority of voters who both pay close attention to issues and are solidly on the left of the political spectrum, but probably nothing that can dislodge Clinton's advantages, especially since many of those same highly attentive voters will get cold feet if he starts to become a serious competitor and the Democratic establishment decides to sink him for fear of his performance in the general election.

[Caretha]

82. Hahahaha

you are so funny, not.

I gave the last flame bait post regarding Sanders' Presidential bid a +2.

Unfortunately you have come in dead last to it and receive a Zero for ....


A LACK OF IMAGINATION.


Please enter the contest often, your chances may not necessarily increase, but you can raise your post count, and I guess that counts for something.

You're Welcome

[PowerToThePeople]

87. .

[cherokeeprogressive]

88. That's a Hillary-ous prank he's pullin'!

[Avalux]

90. Then the joke's on him!

He may not be serious, but it seems a lot of people in this country are. BTW, can you provide a reference where Bernie says he's not serious about the nomination?

[KamaAina]

91. Bill Press begs to differ.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026624648

[Iggo]

92. You hope.